“We decided to upgrade the Champamoni Maternity Home at Park Circus through public-private partnership. But as the local councillor did not approve of the idea, it stands cancelled as of now,” said Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

According to Banerjee, “I will not allow the participation of any private party to improve the structure of the maternity home. It is a property of the KMC and the civic body is solely responsible for its development. The health department spends several lakhs every month on various projects. Why can’t they improve the centre?”

He added, “If the hospital gets renovated based on the public-private partnership model, there are chances that the poor will have to pay for the services.”

The KMC had floated a tender in December last year inviting private parties to upgrade the hospital. The civic body was to fund 40 per cent of the development work and the private party was to provide the remaining 60 per cent of the development fund.

“Three private parties were short listed for the job. The development plan was chalked out in February. But nothing happened after the intervention by the CPM councillor,” said a senior medical officer of KMC.

“There are plans to set up an operation theatre. Walls and the roof of the hospital are also crumbling and may cause accidents,” he added